Russia finds way to mass-produce jet-powered drones despite sanctions
Photo: Russian kamikaze drone (Russian media)
Russia has established mass production of jet engines for drones, bypassing Western sanctions. This has allowed it to cut the production cost of these drones by at least half, The Economist reports.
According to the outlet’s source in Ukraine’s air defense forces, the Kremlin has managed to acquire 3D-printing equipment for turbines. The equipment is similar to technology used at Western Rolls-Royce factories.
Thanks to the new technology, the production cost of Russia’s jet-powered drones has fallen by at least half, to $50,000–$70,000 per unit, and the price will decrease further.
The source noted that, contrary to Western predictions, the threat posed by the mass use of such drones is likely to become increasingly serious.
"Ukraine failed to properly prepare for the threat, but the failure is on our partners too," the source said.
Earlier, amid continued Russian attacks involving jet-powered drones, the Ukrainian authorities decided to revise the safety rules applied during air raid alerts.
In particular, following a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the country would introduce two levels of air raid alerts: "yellow" and "red."
The "yellow" level will be issued when there is a threat of a drone attack, while the "red" level will be used in the event of a missile threat or a mass attack.
